Malaysia has arrested four more suspected members of Jemaah Islamiyah, a regional militant group that Washington charges is linked to the al-Qaida terrorist network. Also, Indonesian officials have revealed more details of their investigation into last month's terrorist bomb attack in Bali.
Malaysian authorities said Tuesday that the arrests took place over the past month. All four are suspected of belonging to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). The organization wants to build an Islamic state spanning much of Southeast Asia. The arrests bring the total of suspected militants held under Malaysia's strict Internal Security Act to 73. Also Tuesday, police in Indonesia said they have arrested a total of 15 suspects in the investigation of the October 12 bombing in Bali.
More than 190 people died when a van carrying 50 kilograms of explosives was detonated on a street lined with restaurants and bars.
Just two of those arrested are though to have been directly involved in the plot. One is the alleged mastermind of the bombing, Imam Samudra, who was arrested last week. The other is Amrozi, allegedly the owner of the van used in the bombing.
The remaining 13 suspects are accomplices who provided fake identity papers or money to the bombers. Others helped hide weapons and chemicals police say were used in the blast.
Although some Indonesian officials say the suspects are linked to Jemaah Islamiyah, but the police in Bali have not officially made that connection.
The United States, the United Nations, and the European Union have all designated JI an international terrorist group.